


Rain

by neveralarch



Series: Best_enemies comment fic [8]
Category: Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka
Genre: Androids, Comment Fic, Community: best_enemies, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-01
Updated: 2011-06-01
Packaged: 2017-10-28 15:10:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/309195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neveralarch/pseuds/neveralarch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short and very serious Shalka fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rain

The rain beat on the outside of the TARDIS, and didn't touch the men inside. They were both far too busy to pay it any attention.

The Master flexed his new mechanical fingers, joint by joint. The Doctor had rescued him, made him strong and eternal, and all it had taken was dying. Again. A worthwhile sacrifice.

"You can't leave the TARDIS," said the Doctor. He was moving around, restlessly, a flask in one hand and a laser wrench in the other. "It's not safe."

The Master's lips turned up in what seemed to be a very passable sneer. He brought a hand up to feel at his jaw, admiring the workmanship.

"You can't keep me here," he said. He stood up, smoothly, and walked over to the console. The TARDIS rumbled, but didn't throw him away.

"No, really," said the Doctor. He took a few steps toward the Master, dropping the laser wrench, but not the flask. "That world out there-"

"Is inhabited, yes, I know," said the Master. He glanced at the TARDIS' readings. "Your hearts bleed for the people I'll murder." His hand threw the door's switch with barely a thought from him. Rain started to beat in to the inside of the open TARDIS, but he paid it no more attention than before.

"Stop this," said the Doctor, a little panicked. "Stop this, before it's too late."

"Thank you for resurrecting me, unwise as it was," said the Master. He rolled his eyes to take away the truth of it. "Goodbye, Doctor. Until next time."

The Master strode out into freedom and eternity and the rain. He could feel the Doctor's worried eyes on his back, and he laughed.

Then he collapsed face-first into the mud.

The Doctor emitted a loud sigh, and took a very long pull from his flask. Then he went and got his coat and rubber boots before going to drag the Master back into the TARDIS.

\---

The Master lagged in rebooting, moving slowly from functionality to consciousness to awareness. When his eyes started tracking again, his relays were hissing miserably and the Doctor was brushing mud out of his chassis.

"I told you you couldn't leave," said the Doctor. His nose was covered with dried dirt, and he sneezed, accusingly. "I probably got a cold, carrying you in from the wet. You literally weigh a ton now, you know."

"When you said I couldn't leave, I thought you meant that you'd installed safe-guards," said the Master. He felt awful. "I was testing my limits."

The Doctor shook his head, and said nothing, concentrating on getting the last speck of mud out of the Master's neck-joint.

"I can't believe you haven't made me water-proof," said the Master.

"It's just dropped a little further down my to-do list," said the Doctor.


End file.
